JACKSONVILLE – One week remains.
Jaguars 2024 Training Camp begins next Wednesday. That will signal the unofficial/official beginning of the Jaguars' 30th season and the unofficial/official end of the '24 Dead Zone.
Things in this final "dead" week are often a bit all-over-the place, a little like driving on ice. Keep it on the road. Power through. Be careful out there.
Let's get to it …
Michael from Orange Park, FL
The so-called experts seem pretty concerned about the offensive line. Think the experts got it right this time?
I assume you're referencing a recent installment in our Final Analysis series, in which multiple of our tried-and-trusted Jaguars Media "experts" cited the offensive line as an issue to watch entering Jaguars 2024 Training Camp. The offensive line – particularly the interior – indeed struggled at times last season. The struggles at times were particularly pronounced in the area of run-blocking. The Jaguars addressed the area this offseason by signing veteran center Mitch Morse and re-signing veteran guard Ezra Cleveland, who was acquired in a trade from the Minnesota Vikings late last October. Considering these circumstances, it would have been surprising had the area not been considered an "issue" entering training camp. It's a major storyline to watch and the offensive line must play better this season than it did last season. This doesn't mean it's automatically a weakness. It doesn't mean the Jaguars didn't do enough to address the offensive line in the offseason. It means it's an issue to watch.
Steve from Hilton Head, SC
John, Can you give insight to the assistants that move, load and unload all the equipment for an away game? This must be a remarkable undertaking. All the behind-the-scenes work must be amazing.
You're referencing the Jaguars' equipment staff, headed by Head Equipment Manager George Pellicer, and they indeed are responsible for ensuring all necessary equipment is available at every game and practice. Theirs is a difficult job for home games, more difficult for road games and still more difficult when the team moves day-to-day operations overseas for two London games. They prepare equipment daily, do laundry daily and make sure each player is properly – and safely – equipped for practice and games. They also are typically at the facility shortly after six a.m. and work until after eight p.m. It's a lot of work, which is why I'm describing someone else's profession.
Thrill from The 'Ville
Do your readers realize that they can type their question into any word processing application, perform spellcheck, proofread their submission and then copy and paste into the "tiny box?"
Maybe they do now.
Scott from Gilbert, AZ
Zone, the pundits are expecting defensive lineman Maason Smith's contributions this year to be nominal – much like the rookie seasons of former second-round picks offensive tackle Walker Little and tight end Brenton Strange – in a league that has historically expected second-round selections to either start or contribute heavily Year One. If a college student gets a 2.0 freshman year, then turns it on and earns a 3.5 his remaining three years, his cumulative GPA is 3.125. One would have to assume that in such a data-driven industry NFL teams would incorporate some form of statistical metric to assess overall first contract value, thus am wondering why General Manager Trent Baalke is so insistent on selecting developmental players in the second-round as opposed to higher-floor guys more likely to contribute what the NFL would equate to like a 3.3 GPA every year for four years knowing such players can often be found in picks 33-64? Do Rounds 3-7 not represent enough opportunity to pick upside players? The two Super Bowl teams, both with deeper rosters entering 2023 than the Jags, were able to meet need, value and immediate contribution after the first round. The San Francisco 49ers' first pick was not until No. 87, where they took safety Ji'Ayir Brown, with the Kansas City Chiefs selecting wide receiver Rashee Rice at Pick No. 55. I recognize that you've continually reiterated your lack of expectation for rookie contribution, but both of those players started immediately and were instrumental in their teams' respective conference championships in a year the Jags might have only been one rookie contributor away from making the playoffs. You would think that in such a "copycat" league someone in the Jags' front office might've at least taken notice of that this time around...?
Your research is impressive and appreciated. You cited some good examples of some rookies who contributed for good teams this past season. You draft for a player's career, not their rookie seasons. Drafting for immediate impact is fine. It's not necessarily a path to long-term success.
Marc from Oceanway
Zone, do you feel strongly one way or another in regard to natural grass or turf? Or is it all fine and dandy as long as your key card keeps working?
While I don't lose extensive sleep over the issue, I'm an old-school guy – read: "old man" - and we old schoolers tend to like grass-stained jerseys and mud fields with a little blood added for good measure. Because players also understandably prefer it, the recent trend has been for stadiums to lean to playing on grass when grass is feasible. And yeah … pretty much any day the code works is a good day these days.
Hilarious from Funnytown
Punk's not dead, O. Punk's not dead. I'd say a beer drinkin' family man surviving on wit and sarcasm while skimming from the machine is pretty punk.
I am the king of all funk.
Nick from Virginia Beach
Will the throwbacks be available to purchase online?
Throwbacks?
Ty from Fleming Island, FL
O-Zone, since you covered the Jaguars in the early years, from your observations, what kept Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell – a very good quarterback – from becoming a generational quarterback? Was it the knee injury in the 1997 preseason or was it something else? I'll be interested to know your thoughts.
This is a tricky question because it seems to suggest that Brunell – the Jaguars' starting quarterback from 1995 until 2003 – somehow fell short by not being consider a "generational" quarterback. There are only a handful of "generational quarterbacks" in any era, and they're the players who make the Hall of Fame and define the game's history. That's rarified air. While Brunell wasn't that, he did play in three Pro Bowls and was a very good player for a long time. Brunell wasn't quite as "prototypical" in terms of size and ability to win from the pocket as "generational" quarterbacks of his era such as John Elway and Dan Marino – and he didn't have quite the late-game, big-play flair as a quarterback such as Brett Favre. So maybe those aspects of his game "held him back." But yes … if there was anything that hurt Brunell, it seems from this view that it would be the knee injury he sustained in the 1997 preseason. Brunell's mobility and ability to produce yards rushing made him special in 1996. Being limited in that area after that didn't help him.
Chevin from Jacksonville
By the time I came of age and reached adolescence, R.E.M. was coming into its "Losing My Religion" era, so I was a bit too young to have known their earlier days. Thank goodness I went backwards later on as a full-fledged adult on my own and discovered their first three studio albums. "Murmur" is still one of the finest debut albums by a rock band.
Indeed it is.
Brian from Fanwood, NJ
What nickname would Frenette have for you? Certainly not cultural icon.
Longtime Florida Times-Union sports columnist, Northeast Florida cultural icon and force of nature Eugene P. "Gene" Frenette knows where to find me.
Travis from Ormond Beach, FL
It's 3:40 Eastern Daylight Time and no O-Zone yet. This can't be the end; not on some random Tuesday in the Dead Zone!
Tuesday's O-Zone – It Shall Be – posted at 10:28 a.m. This is how it still is and this is how it still shall be.
Jonathan Formerly of Jax Beach
Is today the day? Hope all is well.
Tuesday's O-Zone – It Shall Be – posted at 10:28 a.m. This is how it still is and this is how it still shall be.
Aiden from DUUUVALL!!!
It's 2:00PM on July 16th. Where is the O-Zone from the KOAF? Is the streak still going? Is she safe? Is she all right? Though my star wars quote might not work as he doesn't love the movies.
Tuesday's O-Zone – It Shall Be – posted at 10:28 a.m. This is how it still is and this is how it still shall be.
Jerry from Italia, FL
Zone, Say it ain't so. You had two columns published on Sunday, does the second one count for Monday or is your streak now broken?
Monday's O-Zone – Trivial Pursuit – posted at 7 a.m. Tuesday's O-Zone – It Shall Be – posted at 10:28 a.m. This is how it still is and this is how it still shall be.
